Portable gold washing and concentrating machine for placer sands and quartz ores



Sept. 18, 1934. w, A, MCCULLOUGH 1,973,770 PORTABLE GOLD WASHING AND CONCENTRATING MACHINE FOR PLACER SANDS AND QUARTZ ORES Filed May 29, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Sept. 18, 1934. w MCCULLOUGH 1,973,770

PORTABLE GOLD WASHING AND GONCENTRATING MACHINE FOR PLACER SANDS AND QUARTZ ORES Filed May 5 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 r 4| rl J 25 r '1 F" IHII I g xv 62 O IIIHHIIIIIIIII 1 um 66 Sept. 18, 1934. v w A ccu 1,973,770

PORTABLE GOLD WASHING AND CONCENTRATING MACHINE FOR PLACER SANDS AND QUARTZ ORES Filed May 29 1955 -5 Sheets-Sheet 5 8 2 W 9 w. 5 i w %=NN K W i... m w M/ w 7 w. w m w J a 0 6 w 4 3 3 w. 2 w.

Sept. 18, 1934. w -MCCU| OUGH 1,973,770

PORTABLE GOLD WASHING AND CONCENTRATING MACHINE FOR PLACER SANDS AND QUARTZ ORES Filed May 29, 1933 5 SheetS-Sheet INVENTOR.

Sept. 18, 1934. w. A. N I CULLOUGH 1,973,770

PORTABLE GOLD WASHING AND CONCENTRATING MACHINE FOR PLACER SANDS AND QUARTZ ORES Filed May 29, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 quickly replaceable and transportable.

Q mumrecovery of values .is provided- .stantially inaccessible regions v m sms PATENT 1,973,770 7 PORTABLE com) WASHING AND ooN- CENTRATING MACHINE FOR PLACER SANDS AND QUARTZ onus William McCullough, San Quentin, Calif. Application May 29, 1933, Serial No. 673,424

' 5 Claims." (c1.2o9-14) This invention :is a portable gold Washing and concentrating machine for placer sands *and quartz ore, and is especially directed to acon-. centrating unit which will make an unusually high recovery ofgold and valuable: minerals with very low consumption of power and water,

and also, :to a unit of the knockdown type in which the individual elements are light in weight and readily transportable by mule back into sub-,

dimculty;

This invention: will operate efilcientlyeon crushed ores, sands or gravel, making a high recovery (Sf-values, especially that of free or native gold and other precious metals in the native state.

-Tl'ie unit is compact, havingunusual capacity in relation to the limited space required, since one of these units requiring a floor space of only .thirty-sixsquare feet will efficiently recover all gold, including flourand flake gold or dust,- and will treat approximatelylfifty cubic yards of material in. ten hours, as substantiated by actual tests, and with anaexpenditure of only about two horsepower. w

' The unit combines the features of screening, classification, jigging, sluicing, and amalgamation, and thereby provides a recovery far beyond that attained by any known devices, andthis is'.

due to the specialarrangements and combinations of the variouselements making up the unit. The main object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a concentrating unit of compact type having unusually high, efficiency in the separation of the values and gangue in sands, gravels and. crushed ores.

Another object of the invention isto provide a unit as outlined which will produce a product of high' concentration and provide. high. recovery, of precious metalsespecially. w 1 A further object. of the invention is to provide a unit as outlined which iseconomical in its.

consumptionof both; powerlan'd water, and in which theindividual elements are readilyand A still further object of the invention is to provide aunit which combines the features, of screening, classification, jigging, sluicing, gravity separation and amalgamation, whereby maxi- .A. still furthertobject'of the invention is to provide :a unit with screens in which a portion of the fines-passing'through each screen is separated from the balance of. the fines and individually treated toa jiggingand ama1gamawith but .little tion process whereby the 'efficiency of theunit is increased, both as-to capacityv and recovery.- -,Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description.

is read ,on the drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which similar reference characters are used. to designatesimilar parts throughout the several views, ofawhich; Fig. 1 is a perspective View .of the invention with related distributing feeder andgrizzlies,

Fig. 7 is a plan View of one of the combined;

screens and amalgamating basins.

Fig. 8- is asection taken on line 8-8 of Fig.7. Fig. 9 is a'plan view of the amalgamating pan. Fig. 10 is a section taken on line 1 010 of Fig. 9. i

The invention consists of aframe orcradle comprising a base having integral rockers 21, which ride'in rails 22, which are m ounted in a platform or foundation23, the entire unit being supported on these, rockers. -j; Removably. secured to the base 20 are standards 24,-,to the top of which, a heador cap 2511s removably secured, the various members of the base 20 Jandhead also being removably secured together such' as by bolts. Suitable bracing' for the cradle orframe is provided as indie cated'at 26 .whichshows cables or-rods with adjusting or tightening means 27, these cables or rods being attachedat their ends to hooks 28 and 29, fixed respectively in the base-20- and head The amalgamating pan and the screen supportsconsist of rollers 30 which are rotatably mounted on stub shafts 31, which are adjustable in a vertical plane. by means of the threaded rods 32, either by. nuts 33 or. by. threading the holes in the shafts31, in Whichcase, rotation of the rodspwill coincidently adjustthe entire seriesjof screens, either for inclination or height. By adjusting the center roller above and out of alignment with the side rollers, both rocking and reciprocating motion are given to the screens. H

. Thecombinedjscreens and amalgamators each consist of a'frame 34, the. flanged portions 35 of which ride on'the rollers 30. Secured to the bottom .of the frame 34 is an amalgamating basin 36 having. an. opening 37,.the basin proper consisting of the portion extending from thetailend or discharge end 38 to the lower end 39 of the opening 37, this portion being coextensive with a minor portion of the length of the screen, as shown.

The amalgamating basin as shown, consists of the water-tight portion between 38 and 39 and which is provided with the bar riiiies 40, between which mercury poolsflare' formed, or the riflie structure may be made similar to the sluice rifiie system as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The screen 41 is mounted in spaced relation above the top of the rifiles 40, and an opening is provided at 42 to permit the gangue to slough through after the values are gathered by the mercury 43, and the heavier fragments settle.

It will be noted that the screens are of increasingly finer mesh with the downward flow, and that the material passing through the screens over the openings 37 drops to the next screen below which is of finer mesh. The portion passing through the screen over the basin is trapped between the riflies 40, the native precious metals are amalgamated with the mercury and the higher specific gravity ores, due to the jigging action, which will be later described, are re tained, while the gangue, being of lower specific gravity,- gradually works up, over, and out through the opening 42 and discharges eitherinto a sluice or to the next screen below. All screens and basins are formed alike, except as to mesh of screen and form and'height of riflies, and all are amalgamated. A'discharge lip 44 is provided at the tailend of each screen, and a clevis is secured to the head end as shown at 45 for connection to the reciprocating-means. I The amalgamating pan consists of an amalgamated ccpper pan 46 having vertically staggered rifiies,preferably formed of round copper bars, and spaced from the bottom 48 of the pan 46, a suitable supply of mercury being deposited in the pan for amalgamating the values in the ore.

The amalgamating pan is mounted adjacent the bottom of the cradle, and the screens are vertically spaced and superposed in relation to the pan and to each other, and each basin'receives a certain proportion of the fines passing.

through its screen and thereby increases the capacity and efficiency of the unit, and makes unusually high recovery possible with a minimum of floor space and weight.

The sluices consist of sluice boxes 49 which are removably mounted on the standards 24, in cooperative relation to the tail ends of the screens and receive the discharge'or tailings therefrom. r

Each sluice consists of the box 49, with a removable rifiie unit, consisting of side members 50, grids or grizzlies 51 and riiiies 52, a suitable supply of mercury beingsupplied to eachrifiie and the rifiies and box being made of copper and amalgamated.

i A suitable supply of water 53 is provided for the screens and sluices and the material is-fed from a suitable supply over grizzlies54, over the distributing feeder 55, onto the top screen, a portion of the fines passing through the opening 37 to the next screen below, and the remaining portion being intercepted by the amalgamating basin, oversize from the screen and reject from the basin being received by the sluice. The series of sluices discharge one into the other the bottom screen discharging a portion of its fines into its basin and the remainder into the amalgamating pan 46, where final separation is effected. v H

nections 62' operating on eccentrics 63 which are afiixed on the vertical shafts 64, which in turn are rotatably mounted in bearings 65 supported inbrackets 66. A universal joint 67 is provided for each shaft to compensate for the rocking motion of the cradle, shafts 64 being driven by theshafts 60 and 68 through bevel gears 70, and shaft 68 being driven through bevel gears 69.

Thus it will be noted that while the frame and all associated parts are rocked relative to one plane, the screens are reciprocated across. a. vertical plane at right angles thereto, both .motions being independent of each other, and rock-. ing and reciprocating-motion, or rocking motion in two planes and reciprocating motion in one of the planes is provided for the screens, and rocking motion in one plane for theamalgamate ing pan.' I

It will be understood that variations inconstruction and arrangement of parts which are. consistent with thenappendedlclaims maybe resortedto without detracting from the spirit-or scope of .the invention or. sacrificing-any. of the. advantages thereof. 5

I claim: I v

1. A concentrator unit comprising a frame, anamalgamating pan mounted in the lower portion of said frame. and provided-with a series of riflies, a series of classifying screens adjustably mounted in superposed relation to said pan and to each other, an amalgamating. basin having riffles and mounted beneath the tailportion of each screen to catch fines passing through the screen adjacent the discharge end thereof, an amalgamating sluice having rifiles and mounted in cooperative relation to the tail end of each screen to receive the tailings therefrom, adjusting means for coincidently adjusting the pitch of all of said screens, means imparting a rocking motion to said unit in one plane, and means imparting a reciprocating motion to said screens in another plane.

2. A concentrator unit comprising a frame, an amalgamating pan mounted in the lower portion of said frame and provided withla series of rifiles, a series of classifying screens adjustably mounted in superposed relation tosaid pan and to each other, an amalgamating basin having rifiles and mounted beneath the'tail portion of each screen to catch fines passing through the screen adjacent the. discharge end thereof, an amalgamating sluice having rifllesand mounted in cooperative relation to the tail endof each screen to receive the tailings therefrom, adjusting means for coincidently adjusting the pitch of all of said screens, rocking means cooperating with said unit for rocking said unit relative to one plane, and reciprocating means cooperating with said screens for reciprocating said screens transversely of the rocking movement of said unit, whereby rocking motion is provided for the sluices andamalgamating pan, and rocking and reciprocating motion in right angular relation to each. other are provided for the screens.

3. A concentrator unit comprising a frame, an amalgamating pan mounted in the lower portion of said frame, a series of collectively adjustable screens superposedly mounted relative to said pan and to each other, an amalgamating basin mounted beneath the tail portion of each screen catching fines from the lower portion of the screen, an amalgamating sluice for each screen, rocking means cooperating with said unit for rocking said unit relative to one plane, and reciprocating means cooperating with said screens for reciprocating said screens transversely of the rocking movement of said unit.

4. A concentrator unit comprising a frame, an amalgamating pan mounted in the lower portion of said frame, a series of collectively adjustable screens superposedly mounted relative to said pan and to each other, an amalgamating basin mounted beneath and in cooperative relation to the tail portion of each screen catching fines from the lower portion of the screen, and means coincidently rocking said unit about one vertical plane and reciprocating said screens across a vertical plane at right angles to said one plane.

5. A concentrating unit comprising a frame supported on rockers, an amalgamating pan mounted adjacent the bottom of said frame, a series of vertically spaced, adjustably inclined screens reciprocally mounted in said frame in superposed relation to said pan, an amalgamating basin mounted beneath each screen in 00- operative relation to the portion of the screen adjacent the discharge end to receive fines passing through that portion of the screen, an amalgamating sluice mounted in cooperative relation to the tail end of each screen, means for rocking said frame, and means for reciprocating said screens in a plane transversely to their rocking motion, said screens being mounted on rollers, and releasing means for releasing said screens'and pans to permit convenient removal thereof from the frame for cleanup.

WILLIAM A. MoCULLOUGI-I. 

